An air shoe as shown in Batra Ser. No. 72,143 is a shoe such as an athletic shoe, sneaker or the like, having ventilation passages to cause air to pass into the sole of the shoe and to cool the wearer's foot as the sole is alternately copmpressed and permitted to expand while the wearer runs or otherwise engages in sports or other activities. Air shoes are now quite common in commercial use.
Variations in air shoes have been proposed since Batra Ser. No. 72,143 and subsequent patent applications have been filed and/or patents issued by Batra and others disclosing such variations. For example, McBarron U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,573 provides air shoes like those of the original Batra invention but with reservoirs. Such reservoirs are in fact a step backwards, as they suffer the disadvantage of requiring extra air to ventilate the volume of the reservoir and, further, act as a reserve space to accumulate contimination which may be picked up as the wearer moves through puddles or other contamination as he walks or runs.